Denial is such a strong word
by insomniac07
Summary: Lucas is engaged. Peyton let him go. Are they really moving on from each other? Set after Lucas proposed to Lindsey
1. Coming to terms

_**Disclaimer: I do not own One tree hill and everything that has to do with the show except for the plot and the other characters which I am responsible for.**_

_**Note: This was set after Lucas proposed to Lindsey.**_

_**The song for this chapter is "Coming to terms" by Carolina Liar.**_

"_**I'm coming to terms.**_

_**I'm starting to learn this ain't all it's cracked up to be.**_

'_**Coz I'm using you, you're using me.**_

_**It's never as easy as we believe."**_

[TRIC: Peyton's office]

Brooke entered Peyton's office to find her best friend staring at her laptop, in deep thought. She walked toward Peyton's desk and stood by it for a few seconds.

Brooke recalled her conversation with Peyton last night. Lucas proposed to Lindsey and Peyton was so broken up. She knew that the tears Peyton had let out were not even half the pain Peyton was feeling. She knew Peyton had a really long way to go. But what she didn't know was how she could help her best friend through it.

Realizing that Peyton hadn't noticed her presence, Brooke spoke.

"Peyton." Brooke called for Peyton's attention.

Peyton looked up, startled. "Hey, Brooke what are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to check up on you." Brooke shrugged.

Peyton closed her laptop as Brooke sat down.

"So…how are you holding up?" Brooke asked.

"I'm fine. Thanks for last night." Peyton said.

Brooke knew her friend was lying but she let it go…for now.

"So have you talked to him?" Brook asked.

"I did and…" Peyton sighed. "I let him go."

Brooke gave Peyton a sympathetic smile. "You'll be okay."

Peyton forced a smile as she nodded.

"I'll make sure of that, P. Sawyer." Brooke said.

"Thanks, B. Davis." Peyton said.

[TREE HILL GYM]

Lucas stood still on the spot he'd been at for an hour. He fought back the tears that were attempting to fall.

_FLASHBACK_

"_You think Whitey will let you out early so we can watch a movie?" a familiar voice interrupted Lucas from his thoughts._

_Lucas turned to face Peyton walking toward him._

"_What are you doing?" he asked._

"_Would you believe I met this girl who read the Unkindness of Ravens and she lives vicariously through our lives?" Peyton told him._

"_It's a great story to be a part of. But it also took place a long time ago." He said._

"_I know." She looked down. "I'm not here to rehash the past."_

_He remained silent, allowing her to continue. She took his hand and held it with both her hands---as if she was holding for dear life. He looked at her pained expression and felt bad for her._

"_I was reminded today in a roundabout way that the most perfect act of love is sacrifice. It's what Keith did for Karen; burying his feelings for her just so he could be a good friend. And that's what I'm going to do." She paused, trying to remain composed._

"_I love you, Lucas. And it is going to suck but if what you want is for me to let go then I'm going to do it. Be happy, Luke. I want that with all my heart." She said as tears began to fall._

_She then kissed his knuckles and then quickly let it go. She walked away as quickly as she could without looking back anymore._

_He watched her leave, trying to stop the tears from his eyes._

_END FLASHBACK_

Finally, the tears that he'd been holding in fell and he looked down, letting out a heavy sigh. Boy he really messed up.

[TRIC: Peyton's office]

Peyton opened her laptop to reveal what she'd been staring at.

It was her and Luke's picture used as wallpaper. They were at the backseat of her comet. The picture was back when they were still together.

_FLASHBACK_

_Lindsey lifted up her hand with a smile on her face as tears fell from her eyes._

"_Lucas asked me to marry him."_

_END FLASHBACK_

Tears began to fall from her eyes but she had to fight back and wipe them away when she noticed someone stepping in her office.

She looked up and her jaw dropped. She was surprised to see who had just walked in.

He walked slowly toward her with his hands on his pockets as she stood up to meet him. She was confused to see him---after everything that had happened.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice was shaky.

The next thing she knew, she was wrapped around in his arms. He hugged her tightly and that was when she stopped trying to fight back the tears from falling.

She cried, leaning on his chest.

"_**Am I what you need?"**_

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Who's the guy that just popped in Peyton's office? What do you think Lucas is thinking? Will there be a Leyton reunion?

Let me know what you think


	2. For you to notice

**Alright fellas! Here's chapter two. I know that my story is set mid season 5 but I just want to give it a shot. I'm so excited for 617! Daaaaamn!**

**Anyway…**

**The song for this chapter is "For you to notice" by Dashboard confessional.**

**Flashbacks are in italic.**

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[Luke's room]

Lucas went inside his room to find Lindsey on the bed, sitting up.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Hey" he smiled back.

"You alright?" she asked.

"I'm not sure." He said as he sat beside her.

He then placed his hand on top of hers and looked into her eyes.

"I need to talk to you." He told her.

[Peyton's office]

Peyton pulled away from the strong arms that held her and wiped her tears.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"What are you doing here, Julian?" she asked him.

"That's not really important right now. Is this because of Lucas?" he asked.

Peyton looked down.

"I'm here." He said as he took her hand.

"I shouldn't have come back." She said.

"That's true because you should've stayed with me." he said.

Peyton chuckled as she looked up. "Still cocky, I see."

"Not cocky. I'm just being honest." He told her as he smiled.

[Naley's house]

Haley was grading some papers at the dining table when Lucas appeared by the hallway.

"Hey…" he greeted softly.

"Hey buddy." She looked up, putting down the pen and paper as Lucas went to sit beside her.

"I need to talk to you." He said.

"What's wrong?" Haley asked.

[Clothes over Bro's]

A tall, handsome man walked in the store causing Brooke to look up from the register. She stopped sketching as she smiled and approached him.

"Welcome to Clothes over bro's." she greeted. "How may I help you?"

"Hi." He smiled. "Brooke Davis, right?"

"Yes." She flashed a flirtatious smile. "You must be the man of my dreams."

He chuckled, blushing. "Actually---"

He was interrupted when Peyton stepped inside the store.

"I must've left my phone at the office." Peyton told Julian as she approached.

Brooke looked to the guy standing in front of her then to Peyton, feeling confused. Peyton noticed Brooke's expression and she smiled at Julian.

"So I guess she was flirting with you while I was gone." Peyton stated, chuckling.

"Yeah." He too, chuckled.

"I'm standing right here, you know.' Brooke told them.

"I'm sorry." Peyton smiled apologetically. "Brooke this is---"

"Julian. Julian Baker." He introduced himself.

"And you are…?" Brooke asked.

"A friend from LA." Both Peyton and Julian quickly responded.

They both looked at each other, startled. They looked back at Brooke who was eyeing them suspiciously.

"Right." Brooke chuckled.

"So anyway, I need to ask you a favor." Peyton said as she pulled Brooke toward the register. Julian watched them as his mind drifted.

_Julian was on the phone with Peyton._

"_You're leaving?" he asked._

"_I'm sorry I couldn't come to say goodbye. If I wait any longer I might not go through with this." Peyton said._

"_Are you coming back?" he asked._

"_I don't know." Peyton whispered._

"_But---"_

"_Julian, I have to go. I'll call you as soon as I arrive Tree Hill." She said._

"_Peyton, I---"_

"_I'm sorry." She said then hung up._

He gazed at Peyton as he smiled sadly. He looked down as he reached for something in his pocket. Slightly revealing it, he looked at the ring.

"**But for now I'll look so longingly.**

**Waiting…**

**For you to want me, for you to need me, for you to notice me."**

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Dun, dun, dun, dun! Julian's in town! Originally, I made up a character but since Julian has a similarity with my character, I decided to use Julian instead. At least you guys are familiar with Julian.

Whatcha think?

RR


	3. if you leave

**I know each chapter is short but I've got lots of chapters ahead and loads of revelations to come.**

**The next chapter is entitled "If you leave" and the song is by Nada Surf.**

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[Tric]

Peyton walked toward the bar and sat to get some drinks. Owen approached her with a concerned expression.

"Rough day?" he asked.

"Yeah." Peyton said.

_Peyton was driving back to Tric when she saw Lucas and Lindsey walking down the side walk with their hands intertwined. The couple was smiling at each other. Peyton looked away with a hurt expression as she drove faster._

"What'll you have?" Owen asked.

"Anything strong." She said.

"Okay." Owen raised his eyebrow then he poured her the drink.

Seconds later, he handed her the drink. She drank it, emptying it instantly.

He looked at her, taken aback and concerned.

"Just keep 'em coming." Peyton ordered.

Owen hesitantly nodded, not knowing what to say.

[Clothes over bro's]

"Sorry you had to baby sit me. I wanted to tag along but Peyton said I could ruin her meeting." Julian said.

"It's fine. I'd do anything for that girl. Besides, if I had to baby sit someone as gorgeous as you, I'd do it all the time." Brooke chuckled.

Julian smiled at her comment, not knowing what to say.

"So tell me." Brooke started. "What's going on with you two?"

"Me and Peyton?" he tried to play dumb.

Brooke nodded. "It's not like it's not obvious."

Julian looked down, feeling a little uneasy about the subject.

"We were together but we never really had closure---or at least I think so." He told Brooke.

"So you're back for her?" Brooke asked.

Before Julian could respond, Millicent walked in and interrupted them.

"Brooke, Owen called. He said you need to go to Tric. It's Peyton." Millicent said.

Both Julian and Brooke looked at each other, worried for Peyton.

[Naley's house]

"Are you sure? Have you really thought about this?" Haley asked.

"I've thought about it, Hales." Lucas said, annoyed.

"Luke, you're my best friend. I'm just making sure that this is what you want and that you're absolutely sure." Haley explained.

"I know and I love you for caring but I think it's time." Lucas said.

[Breyton house]

Brooke opened the door and went inside as Julian, who was carrying an unconscious Peyton, followed her inside. They went to her room and Julian laid Peyton on her bed.

Brooke sat beside Peyton as Julian sat on the other side.

"This is just great. Broody, drunk Peyton is making a come back." Brooke said. "I haven't seen her like this since…high school."

Julian remained silent as Brooke continued.

"But that was long before Lucas came. When she met Lucas, everything changed. But now, things are going to change again but it won't be good. Her heart is breaking so bad and I don't know how to help her." Brooke said.

"We just have to be there for her. We'll help her through this." Julian said.

"Do you really think she's going to be okay?" Brooke asked.

"She will be." Julian said.

"I'm glad you're here, Julian. I don't know you very well but I'm sure you'll be a big help not just with Peyton but to me as well. I'm not sure I can do this alone." Brooke told him.

"I'm here for both of you." He assured her.

[Naley's house]

"Luke, I have to tell you something." Haley said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I know that you really want to be with Lindsey and marry her in a few weeks but I think you should think this through." She admitted.

"Why?" he asked.

"You kissed Peyton back." Haley stated,

"It didn't mean anything, Hales. It was a mistake. I love Lindsey. She's the one I want to be with." Lucas defended.

"A kiss always means something, Lucas. You're not just kissing some girl. You kissed Peyton. You're still in love with her." Haley argued.

"Haley---"Lucas tried to reason out.

"Luke, it's not just that. I finished your second book. It's about Peyton." She said.

Lucas looked at his best friend, unsure about how he would respond. He was furious at her for accusing him and he just could not comprehend why Haley was still pointing back at Peyton when he was looking forward to his life with Lindsey.

"_**If you leave…don't look back."**_

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_More drama and more revelations to come._


	4. She will be loved

**I want to thank ya'll for the great reviews. Reading them made my day. =)**

**Originally, I had a different character matched up for Peyton but I decided that Julian would be better. You guys are more familiar with him and I think Julian would have been a good match…if not Lucas.**

**I really appreciate the feedback you guys have been giving. I didn't expect it but it's very much appreciated.**

**The next chapter is entitled "She will be loved" and it's by maroon 5.**

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[Breyton's house]

Julian and Brooke were on the couch, talking.

"How long have you two been together?" Brooke asked.

"We've been together for about a year and a half." Julian answered.

Brooke listened intently as he continued.

"I first met her when I had a meeting with her boss. I saw her crying that day. A year later, we saw each other again and this time, she was on the verge of tears." Julian chuckled. "So anyway, I tried to cheer her up by bringing her to this party. I finally got her to smile and that was the day it all started for us."

"That's some story." Brooke smiled.

"Yeah I know." He smiled. "You know, I used to call her the saddest girl in the world."

"But you made her happy." Brooke pointed out.

"I guess I did." He paused. "But it wasn't enough for her to forget her feelings for Lucas. He's the reason we broke up." Julian said sadly.

"So what are you doing here now?" Brooke asked.

"We remained friends after we broke up. At that time, it just hurt too much to be in a relationship with her if I shared her heart with Lucas. But after weeks of being without her since she left LA for tree hill, I realized I couldn't let her go without a fight. I'm here to fight for her."

Brooke smiled at his determination. "You know it won't be easy."

"I know." He agreed. "But I love her and she loved me back."

Brooke felt worried for him.

"Do you really believe she'll come back? It's dangerous to put yourself between Lucas and Peyton. And obviously, Peyton's in love with Lucas." Brooke said.

Julian looked down and sighed. "She was in love with me, Brooke. I have a chance."

"Well, what have you got that Lucas doesn't have?" Brooke asked.

Julian looked at Brooke in the eye. "I'm never going to hurt her the way he has. And I'm going to fight for her because he never had to."

[Naley's house]

"Lucas Scott is still in love with Peyton Sawyer." Nathan said. "I knew it."

"I guess it never really went away." Haley said.

"Geez, what is it with those two? They make being in love so complicated." Nathan commented.

"He's engaged to Lindsey but his heart is still with Peyton. How will that turn out? We saw how things went when it was still Brooke, Lucas and Peyton." She said.

Nathan sighed. "Well, it's really not up to us. Lucas has to snap out of this on his own." He said.

"Damn it, Lucas." Haley mumbled.

[Next day- Peyton's room]

Peyton groaned as she opened her eyes. She placed her hand on her forehead, massaging it. Her head was throbbing so much.

"Damn it, Lucas." She mumbled.

"Good morning." She heard someone come in her room.

Startled, she sat up to meet Julian, who was grinning.

"Julian---what are you---"she was confused.

"Wow, how much did you drink?" he mused.

Peyton looked down, embarrassed.

"I arrived yesterday and you left me with Brooke to meet up with a band. The next thing I know, you were passed out in a bar." Julian explained.

"Where's Brooke?" she asked as Julian sat beside her.

"She's at work. She let me crash here, by the way. I hope that's okay with you." He told her.

"It's fine." She sighed. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this." Peyton apologized.

"Oh don't worry about it. You're the saddest girl in the world. I used to know that girl. But I hope she's not here to stay. I like that other girl better. You know…the one who had that beautiful smile." Julian told her.

"Thanks Julian." Peyton said.

He smiled as he stood up.

"Come on, get dressed." He said. "I'm taking you out for a drink."

He then walked toward the door but stopped by the doorway and looked back at her with a grin on his face.

"And by drink, I meant coffee." He said.

She smiled at him and he smiled back.

[Rivercourt]

Lucas made a free throw as Nathan approached.

"You know, if you weren't my brother and my son's godfather, I would've kicked your ass right now." Nathan said, grabbing the ball.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked, annoyed.

"We're not in high school anymore, Luke. You can't just hide what you truly feel and pretend that you're not hurting anyone. Lindsey and Peyton deserve better than this." Nathan said as he harshly passed the ball to Lucas.

Lucas glared at Nathan and Nathan glared back.

"Do me a favor. Stop messing with their feelings. You could hurt them more than you think." Nathan said then he walked away.

Lucas stood there and watched his brother walk away. Confusion came over him.

"**Look for the girl with the broken smile.**

**Ask her if she want's to stay a while.**

**She will be loved."**

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**Whatcha think? **

**Next chapter coming right up! =)**


	5. Tennesse

**Don't you just hate how confused Lucas is? LOL**

**This chapter is entitled, "Tennessee" and it's by The Wreckers.**

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[Coffee shop]

"How long will you be staying here?" Peyton asked then sipped some coffee.

"As long as you need me, I'll be here." Julian smiled.

"What about your job?" she put down the cup on the table.

"It'll still be there." he shrugged.

"Are you ever going to tell me why you came?" she asked.

"I want to make sure you're okay first. It's not that important anyway." He said.

"Can you at least give me a hint?" she asked.

"I…uh…I had something and now---maybe I could get it back." He said.

"And you think I can help you?" she asked.

"I'm sure you can." He smiled.

[Rivercourt]

"Come on, Nate. This is crazy." Lucas shouted to Nathan.

Nathan turned back to Lucas, pissed.

"You need a serious wake up call. This isn't fair to Lindsey and Peyton." He said as he walked closer to Lucas.

"I don't want Peyton." Lucas said.

Nathan sighed. "You've been down this road before and you know how bad it ended. Lucas, marriage is serious. You're going to spend the rest of your life with the girl you choose."

"I don't need to choose." Lucas said.

"If you say so." Nathan said. "Tell me something. Did you really plan this? Were you really supposed to propose to Lindsey and marry her in a few weeks?"

Caught off guard, Lucas couldn't respond.

[Clothes over bro's]

Haley went inside the store and sat beside the sofa where Brooke sat.

"Lucas is still in love with Peyton." Haley blurted out.

"And Peyton might still be in love with Julian." Brooke said.

"Who's Julian?" Haley asked.

"I think he might just be the guy that'll heal Peyton's heart." Brooke said.

[Coffee shop]

"How's your life been?" Peyton asked.

"Pretty good." He answered cockily.

Peyton gave him a look.

"Okay, okay…I have to admit. My life hasn't been that good. I missed you every day." Julian admitted.

She smiled, looking down and blushing.

"Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I didn't come back." Peyton told Julian.

"Believe it or not, it's good that you came back." He said.

She looked up to meet his eyes.

"At least now you know what you have to do. Besides, it's not all that bad. You saw your friends again and you have Brooke with you." He said.

Peyton smiled.

"Let's not forget your cool new label and your awesome artist, Mia." He added.

"I also got you." Peyton pointed out.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'm here too."

[Clothes over Bro's]

"I know she loves Luke but that boy has hurt her too much. I'm starting to think that maybe Julian would be better for her." Brooke said.

"But does Peyton think that too?" Haley asked.

"They were in love, Haley. She fell in love with another guy! That's got to mean something." Brooke said.

"Luke's in major denial." Haley breathed out.

"We can't really do anything about it. It's up to him." Brooke said.

"Nathan said the same thing." Haley said.

"Well, Nathan's right. But as much as I'd love to see Lucas and Peyton back, I'd rather see her happy." Brooke told Haley.

"Do you really think Julian could do that?" Haley asked.

Brooke nodded. "I think he can. He was able to do it once. He can do it again."

"Do you think she'll to come to the Dinner Party tomorrow?" Haley asked.

"Oh you mean the engagement party? You know she'll be thrilled." Brooke said sarcastically then sighed. "You know Peyton, Haley. She'll try to be a good friend even if it's killing her inside."

Haley also sighed. "It's like high school all over again…only things are worse than before."

"Oh I am so glad that I'm not in the middle of those two again." Brooke said. "It's not easy running from the truth…especially if you know you can't really escape it no matter how hard you try."

[Docks]

Lucas was walking by the docks and as he looked at a certain direction, he saw Peyton come out of a coffee shop.

(Brooke voice over)—_"The truth will always find you…"_

Peyton turned back to the door as a tall, handsome guy put his arm around her shoulder.

(Brooke voice over)—_"And there's nothing you can do to stop it…"_

Lucas watched Peyton and the guy gaze at each other with smiles on their faces as they walked away from the coffee shop.

"**Maybe I'm much too selfish but baby you're still on my mind.**

**No I'm grown and all alone, and wishing I was with you tonight.**

**Yes I can guarantee; things were sweeter in Tennessee."**

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**Hmm…is Peyton really moving on? Is Lucas really going to marry Lindsey? Will Julian get his chance? More confusion coming up. LOL**

**Up next: Lucas and Lindsey's engagement party.**


	6. Let it happen

**It's Lucas and Lindsey's engagement party! How will Peyton handle it?**

**This chapter is entitled, "Let it happen" and it's by Jimmy eat world.**

**As usual, flashbacks are in italic.**

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[Naley's house]

Brooke, Owen, Peyton and Julian walked toward the front door.

"Okay P. Sawyer, if at any time you feel like leaving, tell me okay?" Brooke said.

"Let me handle your best friend, Brooke. Just enjoy this night." Julian told Brooke.

"Yeah Brooke don't worry about me. Besides, it's their engagement party. He'll be busy with Lindsey and the guests while I'll be busy with my date." Peyton said and then linked her arm with Julian's.

"Date huh?" Brooke smirked, looking at Julian.

"I'll take what I can get." He told Brooke.

They stopped by the door as Brooke rang the doorbell.

"Here we go." Peyton whispered, and then turned to meet Julian's eyes.

They smiled at each other. "You can do this." He told her. "It'll be okay."

_Julian leaned on the doorframe, watching Peyton look through her bag._

_Realizing someone else was in the room, Peyton stopped and faced him._

"_What?" she asked._

"_You've been moving around too much today." He said._

"_So? I have better things to do than go to this stupid party." She whined._

"_Right…" he chuckled. "Like you have pressing concerns to deal with…"_

"_Well, I do." Peyton defended._

_He laughed._

"_Stop laughing at me, I'm serious." Peyton was getting annoyed._

_He stopped and smiled sadly._

"_I'm just worried about you." He said._

_Peyton sat down on her bed and looked down at the floor._

"_I'm sorry. I'm just scared." She said then looked up. "Will you come with me?"_

_He smiled. "I'd be happy to." He agreed. "Don't worry, Peyton. It'll be okay."_

The door opened and Lucas appeared.

"Hey guys." He greeted.

"You were saying?" Peyton raised an eyebrow at Julian.

[Pool area]

Peyton was seated by the pool and then Lucas sat beside her.

"You enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's…it's a great party." She said awkwardly.

"Listen, about everything that---"

"You better get back to your fiancé." Peyton stood up. "I have to go find my date." She told him then walked away.

Stunned, Lucas could only watch her walk away.

[Inside]

Peyton went inside to find Julian by the kitchen with some drinks in hand.

He approached her and handed her a drink.

"Thanks." She said, grabbing it and then taking a sip.

"How's it going so far?" Julian asked.

"Coming here was a bad idea. I can't move on with my life like this." She said.

"Let's go then." He suggested. "I'll treat the saddest girl in the world for some ice cream." He grinned.

"I just want to go home." She looked away.

"Oh come on, its ice cream." He said. "How could you turn down ice cream?"

Peyton gave him a look.

"I take that as a yes." He smiled.

"I don't really have a choice. I didn't bring my car." Peyton said.

He chuckled. "Come on."

"**Talking a lot but it's still talk."**

Lucas went inside the house in time to see Peyton turn her back at him as she and Julian headed toward the door. Peyton and Julian walked away with Lucas's eyes on them.

"**Gotta love how it's somehow all on me."**

Brooke stopped a few steps away from Lucas, watching him watch Peyton and Julian. Behind Brooke---just a few steps away---Lindsey also watched Luke.

"**All the petty scenes and all the pretty things..."**

Lucas was very much unaware of the people who watched him stare intensely at Peyton and Julian, who walked out the door. He could hear Peyton's laughter from where he stood.

"**Say whatever you want 'coz I can laugh it off."**

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**Not much drama but that doesn't mean there won't be any. LOL**

**RR! Thanks again to everybody who has been reading and reviewing this.**

**Much love!**


	7. Feel this

**Thanks again for the comments guys =) There'll be some Lindsey interaction but I'm really just focusing on Leyton/Peyton. So anyway, here's the 7****th**** chapter.**

"**Feel this" by Bethany Joy Galeotti.**

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[Breyton's house]

Julian and Brooke went inside the house, laughing.

"Oh that was so much fun. I never thought you enjoyed shopping." Brooke chuckled as they went toward the kitchen counter.

"See? I'm not bad company. There's a lot you don't know about me Brooke Davis. But to be fair, there's a lot I don't know about you, too." He smiled.

"Thanks for spending the day with me. I needed to take my mind of bartender boy for a while." Brooke said as he sat down.

"It's the least I can do since you're letting me stay here. Besides, Owen doesn't know what he's giving up." Julian said.

"I can't blame him for freaking out on me though. I mean, what guy wants to hear a girl say she's thinking about having a baby?" Brooke said as she grabbed some drinks.

"The kind of guy who's not crazy enough to give you up, that's what it is." He said as Brooke handed him a soda.

"Oh come on, how would you feel if Peyton told you that?" Brooke asked as she leaned on the counter.

"Well, considering the fact that I love her so much, I'd say I'd be happy to hear that." Julian smiled.

"I never even said I want a baby now. I just said I was thinking about having a baby. There's a big difference!" Brooke whined.

"Kind of like when Peyton said someday and Lucas took it as a No." Julian Pondered.

Brooke's expression softened upon hearing this.

"You're really willing to put yourself through this chaotic situation?" Brooke asked.

"For her, I'd do anything." Julian said.

Brooke smiled sadly at him, feeling sympathetic and scared for him.

"Do you think she's okay now?" he asked.

"I think she's doing better now. The past two weeks she's been 'Lucas free' so it helped a lot." Brooke said.

"That's good to know." Julian said.

"Yeah well, Lucas going with Lindsey to New York for a week saved her the trouble of avoiding him. Although she's going to have to go back to that routine since Lucas get's back here today." Brooke pondered.

"Think she'll be okay?" he asked.

"She'll be okay." Brooke said confidently.

[Studio]

Haley was singing at the recording booth while Peyton was in the control room with Mia.

"She sounds awesome." Mia said.

"Yeah I know." Peyton smiled.

Mia turned to Peyton, raising her eyebrow. "You seem different."

Peyton faced Mia, confused. "What?"

"I don't know. You're like---not broody." Mia observed.

"Broody…?" Peyton chuckled.

"Whoever's making you happy, I like him." Mia smiled. "It's not Lucas, right?"

"No. It's not Lucas. In fact, it's not even anyone. I just decided to move on." Peyton said.

"Good for you for finally letting go. I kind of miss your broodiness but I like happy Peyton better." Mia said.

Peyton smiled, turning back to watch Haley.

[Breyton's house]

Julian and Brooke were on the couch, talking.

"I need to tell you something but you have to promise me you won't get mad." Brooke told him.

"I promise. What is it?" Julian asked.

Brooke remained silent, unsure what to say.

"What's wrong?" Julian asked.

Brooke breathed out. "I wasn't snooping, okay? I just happened to find it." Brooke explained.

"Find what?" he asked, confused.

Brooke reached down to her pocket and grabbed something.

She then held out a ring. "Is this what I think it is?"

Julian's jaw dropped upon seeing his ring in Brooke's hand.

[Peyton's Office]

"I'm sorry for leaving so early." Haley told Peyton as they went out of the studio.

"It's okay. We can wrap this up some other time. Your song's great, Hales." Peyton complemented.

"Thanks." Haley hugged Peyton and then she hugged Mia. "Bye guys."

"See you." Peyton said as Haley turned to leave.

Peyton turned to Mia as Haley walked away. "What about you rock star? Do you want me to drop you off?" Peyton asked.

"Nah, I'm good. I think I'll stay here for a little bit." Mia smiled.

Peyton nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

[Tric]

Peyton stepped out of her office and closed the door. As soon as she turned, she noticed Lucas slumped on the bar counter.

She thought for a moment if she should approach him or not but decided to go to him. So, she walked toward him and then stood beside him.

"Luke." She said as she shook him gently.

Lucas groaned as he sat up. He turned to face Peyton and then quickly stood up dizzily, backing away from her.

Stunned, Peyton also stepped back.

"Stay away from me." he slurred. "You ruined my life."

He was wasted and very much upset. Peyton wanted to comfort him but she felt like she was stabbed in the heart by his words. Peyton stood there, eye to eye with Lucas Scott. He was the love of her life but right now that meant nothing because his words pierced through every inch of her.

And just as she thought that he had said everything, he continued to speak.

"I hate you. I wish you never came back."

She froze. She couldn't breathe. She was on the verge of tears. So much pain and sadness overwhelmed her as she looked at his eyes, trying to find the boy who healed her heart. The only thing she could see, though, was the boy who destroyed her soul and smashed her heart.

"**Feel this.**

**Can you feel this?**

**My heart beating out of my chest**

**Salvation under my breath"**

**

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**

**There you go. Drama. Hahaha**

**Up next: Julian's got some explaining to do! How will Peyton react? What the hell will happen?**

**Thanks people!**


	8. Never tear us apart

**Hello! This is the 8****th**** chapter of my story. **

"**Never tear us apart" by INXS.**

* * *

[Tric]

Peyton stood there, staring straight into the eyes of the boy she loved immensely. He was angry, upset and hurt but she didn't know why. She didn't even bother to think why he was like that. She couldn't even think. She stood there as her heart broke into a million pieces.

She finally found the strength to back away as she fought back the tears.

Mia stepped out of the office in time to see Peyton turn and walk away, not failing to notice Peyton's very obvious expression.

[Breyton's house]

"So is this what I think it is or is it something else?" Brooke asked, still holding the ring out.

"Well---"Julian was interrupted when Brooke's phone rang.

"Hold that thought." She told him and then answered her phone. "Brooke Davis."

"Brooke." Haley's frantic voice was what Brooke heard.

"Haley what's wrong?" Brooke asked, worried.

"I got a call from Mia and she was freaking out. She told me she saw Peyton run off and not looking too good." Haley explained.

"What do you mean? Was she drunk?" Brooke asked.

"I'm not sure but Mia said Peyton was with Lucas. Brooke, this doesn't sound good. Call me when she gets home, okay?" Haley told her.

"Okay but did you try her phone?" Brooke asked.

"I did but it always goes straight to voicemail." Haley was evidently anxious.

"Don't worry, Hales. I'll call you." Brooke said.

"Thanks." Haley said then hung up.

Brooke hung up, then looked at Julian and sighed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Lucas Scott." Brooke said, pissed off.

[Peyton's car]

Tears fell from her eyes as she drove home.

_[Peyton's office]_

"_You still love me, don't you?" she asked as she stepped closer then kissed him._

_He held her arms, pushing her away but then pulled her back to kiss her._

_[Luke's office]_

"_Do you hate me that much? You kiss me then propose to Lindsey. If you wanted to hurt me, there are a thousand other ways." She cried._

"_It was just…weird timing." He reasoned out._

"_Don't marry her, Luke." She pleaded._

"_I love Lindsey." He said._

_[Tree hill gym]_

"_It's a good story to be a part of. But it also took place a long time ago." He said._

"_I'm not here to rehash the past." Peyton said._

"…_the most perfect act of love is sacrifice. And that's what I'm going to do. Be happy, Luke. I want that with all my heart."_

_[Tric]_

"_Stay away from me." he slurred. "You ruined my life."_

"_I hate you. I wish you never came back."_

His words kept replaying in her head. She couldn't understand anything anymore. Peyton cried and her hands were unsteadily gripping the wheel. Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized she was on the wrong lane and a car was approaching.

She was blinded by the head lights of the other car so she swerved back to the right lane. But she swerved a little too hard and it sent her off the road and toward a tree.

She was about to crash as she heard her phone ring.

[Bryeton's house]

Brooke paced as she waited for Peyton to pick up. Julian watched her with a worried expression.

"Hey, you've reached Peyton Sawyer. Just leave a message---"Brooke hung up upon hearing the voicemail yet again.

"Damn it. Where is she?" Brooke was clearly frustrated.

Julian looked down at his hand and on his palm was the ring Brooke found he accidentally dropped at the kitchen floor. It was the ring he had been holding onto for a while now.

He closed his palm and he held onto it tightly. He stared down at the floor sadly. He was very worried about Peyton Sawyer, the girl he was fighting for.

"**I was standing**

**You were there**

**Two worlds collided**

**And they could never tear us apart."**

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**

**Thank you very much for reading! I know car accidents are over done but that's a one tree hill thing. A season is not complete without it.**

**More chapters, more drama, more romance, more revelations and more secrets.**

**There's a lot more in store so just keep reading.**

**Just a few more days and we'll get to see 6x17. I'm so excited!**

**RR**


	9. Last stop

**Thank you for reviewing people! I really appreciate your opinions and comments =)**

**So anyway, I've written two chapters and I decided to post it as one. So it'll make the 9****th**** chapter a little longer than the others.**

"**Last stop" by Landon Pigg**

* * *

[Road-Peyton's car]

Smoke was emitted from the hood of Peyton's Comet. She was slumped on her steering wheel and started to move. She groaned as she slowly sat back. She massaged her neck and winced.

"Great. Just Great…" she mumbled.

Peyton grabbed her phone which was on the passenger seat and dialed a familiar number. It rang once.

"Peyton!" Brooke's frantic voice was what she heard.

"Hey…" Peyton said.

"Where are you? I've been calling you." Brooke told her.

"I'm sorry. I was on my way home and I just…" she paused, closing her eyes. "I'll tell you later, okay? I had…some car trouble so can you come pick me up?"

"Okay. Where are you?" Brooke asked.

[After a while]

Brooke and Julian went out of the car as Peyton approached them.

"You didn't have car trouble, you were in an accident!" Brooke panicked. "P. Sawyer, are you okay?" Brooke checked her friend.

"Yeah…but my car's not." Peyton said.

"Forget your car! We have to take you to the hospital." Brooke demanded.

"No. That's really not necessary." Peyton said.

"Peyton, we have to get you checked." Julian spoke.

He looked over to her car then back at her.

"And judging by the way your car looks, I think we need to get you checked out." Julian suggested.

Peyton sighed. "Fine…"

[Naley's house]

Nathan and Haley were on the bed. Nathan was asleep while Haley was on the phone. Nathan opened his eyes and sat up lazily.

"Hales, it's late. Who are you calling at this hour?" he asked sleepily.

"Brooke hasn't called. I'm just worried about Peyton." She told him as she waited for Brooke to answer the phone.

"She probably forgot to call. I'm sure Peyton's home." Nathan said.

Haley stood up and faced Nathan.

"I'll just be outside. Be back in a few minutes." Haley said and then walked out.

Nathan watched his wife, baffled.

[Brooke's car]

Brooke drove while Julian was on the passenger seat and Peyton was seated on the backseat. They were on their way home.

"Are you sure?" Brooke asked.

"Brooke, I told you I'm fine. I just need to sleep this off." Peyton said, annoyed.

"The Doctor said she'll be okay as long as she isn't stressed out." Julian said to Brooke.

"Well, the Doctor also said she hit her head pretty hard. She may have been discharged but that doesn't mean she'll be okay." Brooke told Julian. "You need to take it easy for a while P. Sawyer. You know I'm just worried about you." Brooke told Peyton.

"Don't worry too much B. Davis. I'm okay, I promise." Peyton said.

Julian turned to face Peyton and met her gaze.

"Well, if something's wrong, tell us right away, okay?" Julian told her.

"_I hate you. I wish you never came back."_

"Peyton?" Julian snapped her out of her thoughts.

Julian looked at Peyton's eyes. Just through that, he immediately understood.

[Naley's House]

Haley went inside the room, put her phone on the side table and lay back down beside her husband. He put his arm around her as she sighed.

"Have you talked to Brooke?" he asked.

"You were right. Brooke forgot to call and she found Peyton. They're on their way home."

Nathan opened his eyes, concern flashed through his eyes.

"Where was Peyton?" he asked.

"Peyton got into an accident." Haley said.

"What?" Nathan was shocked.

[Breyton's house]

Peyton and Brooke were seated on the bar stool as Julian made some hot chocolate.

"So what did Lucas Scott do this time?" Brooke asked.

Peyton met Julian's eyes, pain and sadness was evident in her eyes.

Julian felt concerned for the girl he loves.

"What happened, Peyton?" he asked.

[The next morning-Luke's house]

Lucas woke up as soon as he heard a noise. Haley opened the curtain and Lucas winced from the sunlight.

"Hales, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Haley looked at him, disappointed.

"I came to hear your side of the story before I ask any one else. Because if I do ask other people first, I may not want to hear you out." Haley told him.

Lucas rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "What are you talking about?"

"You tell me. What happened last night?" she asked.

Lucas sighed, looking down. "Lindsey's not coming back."

Concern flashed through Haley's expression. "What? Why?"

"She said I was still in love with Peyton." He told her.

"She's not the only one who thinks that." She said.

Lucas looked up at her. "This is ridiculous. I love Lindsey."

"Luke, I'm not saying you don't love her. I'm saying you still love Peyton. And you love her more than Lindsey. You may not think so but your heart knows it. Everyone knows it. Deep down Peyton Sawyer is the one your heart wants."

"Fine…don't believe me. What I know is I want Lindsey back." Lucas said.

"Luke---"

"I don't want to hear it, Hales." He cut her off. "Can you just go?"

Haley sighed and turned to walk away.

[Breyton's house]

Peyton went to the kitchen to find Julian making breakfast.

"Hey, you should be in bed. I'll bring you your food." He said without looking up.

Peyton sat on the bar stool. "I'm not a cripple."

"No, you're not. But you need rest." He met her eyes.

"I have to go to work. I can't cancel my plans today." Peyton said.

"Peyton---"

"I'm okay, Julian. Trust me." she said.

He sighed. "Okay. But you have to call Brooke first." He said.

"Fine…" she huffed. "God, she's like the mother I never wanted."

He chuckled. "She's just really worried about you."

"I know that but it's driving me crazy sometimes." Peyton whined.

[Clothes over bro's]

Haley went inside the store and approached Brooke, who was at the register.

"Hey, how's Peyton?" Haley asked.

"She'll be fine but she needs to take it easy. I can't say the same for her heart." Brooke said as she looked up from what she had been reading.

"I talked to Lucas and I'm not sure if he knows what happened or if he was just avoiding my question." Haley said.

"So that ass didn't tell you what he did?" Brooke asked.

"No. I never got a chance to know because he kicked me out." Haley said.

"He kicked you out?"

"We got into this argument about Peyton and Lindsey and he got pissed." Haley explained. "Lindsey left him." She added.

Brooke looked away, chuckling disbelievingly.

"Peyton saw Lucas passed out at Tric and she tried to take him home. The next thing she knows, Lucas freaks out on her telling her to stay away from him because she ruined his life and that he hates her and he wishes that she never came back." Brooke was pissed.

"He said that?" Haley was shocked at Luke's words.

"I can't believe he has the nerve to say those things. It's not her fault Lindsey left him!" Brooke exclaimed.

Suddenly, Brooke's phone rang. Brooke saw who was calling and answered it.

"Hey…" Brooke greeted.

"Hey, B. Davis…you okay?" Peyton was on the other line.

"Yeah…just a little stressed out. How are you?" Brooke asked.

"I'm fine but I have to go to work. Don't worry, Julian's driving." Peyton said.

"Okay. But I'll check up on you." Brooke said.

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later." Peyton said.

"Sure." Brooke said then they hung up.

Brooke sighed then turned to face Haley.

"What do we do now?" Haley asked.

"Kill Lucas Scott." Brooke hissed.

"**It's the last stop**

**I sure hope this'll do**

**After this I'm through with you**

**With you…**

**I'm through."**

**

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**

--

**Up next: Lots of Julian and Peyton interaction. Lucas finds out about Peyton's accident. Peyton has to deal with a new discovery.**


	10. Thank you

**Here's the 10****th**** chapter ya'll.**

**I'm lovin' the support you guys are giving and that keeps me going.**

"**Thank you" by Dido**

* * *

[Julian's car]

Peyton was staring out the window, in deep thought, as Julian drove.

"_Stay away from me. You ruined my life."_

"_I hate you. I wish you never came back."_

Julian glanced at Peyton then his eyes went back to the road.

"You okay?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I was just thinking." She said softly.

"I'm thinking the same thing myself." Julian said.

Peyton looked at him, confused.

"I'm asking myself the same thing you're asking yourself. And that would be…how could he say those things?" Julian said.

"Yeah…" Peyton agreed quietly.

"You don't deserve that, Peyton." He shook his head.

"I don't know what I did that made him say those things." She said.

"That's my point. You didn't do anything and he still treats you like crap." Julian pointed out.

For a while, they were silent. Peyton didn't know what to say while Julian didn't want to say anything more.

"Are you ever going to tell me why you came?" she asked.

He didn't respond.

"Julian." She called his attention.

"That's not important." He glanced, smiling.

"Come on, all this time it's been about what's going on with me. I want to know what's going on with you." She said.

Julian sighed and then turned the car to the side of the road to stop.

Once they were parked, he faced her.

"I came here for you." He told her.

Stunned, Peyton couldn't respond.

"I couldn't tell you every time you asked me. it never seemed like the right time, And…I didn't want you to think I was taking advantage of you because of what you've been going through." He explained.

"What do you mean, you came back for me?" she asked.

"I'm not over you, Peyton. I still love you." He admitted.

[Tree hill gym]

Haley went to sit beside Lucas, who was watching the team train.

"I'm sorry." Haley said.

Lucas faced her. "Me, too. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"I don't want to argue with you but I want you to know something." She said.

"Okay." He said.

"I don't know if you remember last night but…you said some things to Peyton and it really hurt her. I think she got into an accident because of it." she told him.

Worry flashed through Lucas's eyes. "And you're telling me this just now? Where is she? Is she alright?"

"She's okay. But Luke, she loves you so much and you said some things that broke her heart." Haley said.

Lucas remained silent, looking away.

"I'm not going to ask you if you remember what you said but I think you know it. I just want you to think this through. You're the only one who can fix things with Lindsey and Peyton." Haley said and then stood up. "Lucas, do me a favor. Stop hiding from your heart. Things could get worse." She added then walked away.

[Julian's car]

"Julian I---"

"I'm not expecting anything from you right now. You have so much to deal with and I don't want to burden you. But I'll be here for you. I won't let you deal with this by yourself." He said.

She smiled. "Thank you for everything."

"You're always welcome." He said.

He took her hand and held it tight. He looked into her eyes.

"I'll wait for you to give me that chance." Julian said.

They gazed at each other's eyes, smiling---their hands still holding onto each other.

"**Just to be with you is having the best day of my life."**

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**Up next: Lucas and Peyton talk. Dun, dun, dun, dun! Brooke and Julian interaction---Brooke discovers a secret.**

**RR**

**Thanks!!!! ;)**


	11. Light years away

**Okay. So let's recap what happened.**

**Peyton found out why Julian was in Tree Hill. Brooke found a ring that Julian's been keeping but hasn't had a chance to know if that ring was for Peyton. Lucas freaks out on Peyton and then finds out he could have been the reason she got into an accident. **

**In this chapter, Peyton has to deal with Lucas and Julian has to deal with Brooke.**

"**Light Years away" by MoZella**

* * *

[Peyton's office]

Peyton was staring at the wallpaper of her computer while she talked to Brooke on the phone.

"Peyton, I'm sorry." Brooke said.

"It's okay. Brooke, There's nothing to be sorry for." Peyton said.

"I just wish I could've done something so it didn't have to be this way." Brooke told her best friend.

"So do I." Peyton said quietly. She stared at Lucas's face sadly.

"I have to go now. Julian will be here in a few minutes. Are you sure you don't want to come with us for lunch?" Brooke asked.

"I'm sure." Peyton smiled. "Have fun."

"Talk to you later, P." Brooke said then they hung up.

Haley entered the office and Peyton closed her laptop.

"Sorry I'm late." Haley said as she approached Peyton's desk.

"It's okay. Mia's already recording though." Peyton said as she stood up to meet Haley.

"Hey, so how are feeling? Are you sure you're okay to work?" Haley asked as they walked toward the control room.

"I'm okay, Hales. Besides, the sooner we get this done the sooner you can play here for your comeback." Peyton smiled as she opened the door.

"Oh don't remind me. It makes me really nervous." Haley said as she went inside.

"Haley James Scott nervous…? You're gonna be great dude." Peyton said as she went inside then closed the door.

[Restaurant]

"So I think we need to finish where we left off." Brooke said, smirking.

"What are you talking about?" Julian asked.

"You, the ring and your explanation…" Brooke said.

Julian remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"Come on, Julian. I'm not going to tell P. Sawyer if that's what you're worried about." Brooke said.

He sighed. "It's an engagement ring."

Brooke's jaw dropped. She raised her eyebrow, smiling.

"I was going to propose to Peyton after the Sundance event. But instead of that day being the happiest day of my life, it was the day I ended things." Julian told her.

"Why?" Brooke asked.

"I found the book that Lucas wrote in her bag. That's when I realized I was still sharing her heart with Lucas, I ended things because I didn't think she would ever give herself completely." He paused. "If I proposed to Peyton or continued my relationship with her, I would just be lying to myself that she's over him."

"Which brings us back to what we've talked about; Peyton's in love with Lucas. Are you really willing to put yourself through this?" Brooke asked.

"Brooke, I never fought for her. It makes me wonder what could be if I fought for her. What if she chooses me? What if I just threw away the one for me just because of their story? She and I could be meant for each other. I know she loved Lucas so much but she opened her heart to me. That means something. I'm going to fight for her and take a chance because we could be meant for each other." Julian told her.

"Okay." Brooke nodded. "But do you know what you have that Lucas doesn't have?"

Julian looked at her questioningly.

"You have me." Brooke smiled.

[Peyton's office]

Peyton, Haley and Mia went outside of the studio to find Lucas by Peyton's desk.

Peyton avoided eye contact with him as Haley and Mia looked at each other.

"We'll be outside." Haley said then she and Mia went out of the office.

Both Lucas and Peyton were quiet for a moment.

"Are you okay?" Lucas spoke.

"You're seriously asking me that?" Peyton glared at him.

Lucas sighed. "I didn't mean it, Peyt."

"Are you sure? Coz from where I'm standing it seems like you did." Peyton said.

"I'm sorry. I was just really upset. Lindsey left---"

"And you so conveniently blamed me!" she cut him off. "Lucas, I'm tired of this." She said softly as she massaged her temple.

He remained.

"Ever since I got back you made me feel how much you hated me." Peyton said.

"I don't hate you." Lucas said. "I just moved on."

Tears attempted to fall from her eyes. "Do you remember the things you said to me?"

He hesitated. "I do."

"I stopped trying, Luke. I told you I'd be your friend. What did I do to deserve the things you said?" she asked.

"She was going to marry me---"

"And you think I wasn't going to marry you? Luke, I said 'someday'! I didn't say 'no'!" Peyton was frustrated.

"Peyton, that's not---"

"Let's just forget about trying to be friends. It clearly isn't working." She interrupted.

"Peyt…"he didn't know what to say.

"No, Luke. From now on, let's just forget about each other. You can go now." Peyton said.

He remained still and silent, feeling shocked.

"Go!" Peyton exclaimed as tears fell from her eyes.

Taken aback by Peyton's outburst, Lucas could only turn and walk away. He felt helpless.

Peyton sat down and buried her face in her hands as Lucas walked out the door.

"**Its how you wanted it to be**

**It's like you played a joke on me**

**And I lost a friend in the end**

**That life seems like light years away**

**I'm never going back to who I was."**

* * *

**Just love the drama in tree hill.**

**Up next: more Lucas and Peyton interaction. More drama.**

**RR**

**Thanks for the comments =)**


	12. Broken

**Hey everyone! Thank you for your wonderful comments. I would also like to thank those who gave out their opinions/suggestions. Let's see what would happen. =) I haven't decided how this story will go so I hope for your support all the way. **

**Recap: There had been a confrontation between Luke and Peyton while Julian reveals another secret to Brooke. We also find out that Brooke is now rooting for Julian and Peyton.**

**In this chapter, there'll be more of Lucas and Peyton interaction.**

"**Broken" by Life house.**

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**

[River court]

Brooke and Julian were walking at the basketball court headed toward the picnic table.

"So how exactly are you planning to help me?" Julian asked.

"I haven't thought about that part yet." Brooke said.

"It's not that I'm not happy to have you but why are you going to help me?" he asked.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Lucas and I would love to see him get back together with Peyton but enough is enough. I can't let broody hurt my best friend anymore. I like you and I think you'd make her happy. You can heal her heart just like you have before." Brooke explained.

"That means a lot to me, Brooke." He smiled. "Especially since it's coming from you." He added.

"I'm just looking out for her." Brooke said.

"She's lucky to have you." Julian said.

"She's lucky to have you, too." Brooke smiled.

They sat down on the picnic table, facing the river. Julian turned to face Brooke and so did she.

"I have a favor to ask." He said, smiling.

[Peyton's office]

Mia and Haley went inside to find Peyton seated by her desk, massaging her temples.

"Hey, you okay?" Haley asked as they approached.

"Just a little headache…" Peyton said.

"So your talk with Lucas was that bad huh?" Mia stated bluntly.

Peyton and Haley gave her a look.

"What?" Mia shrugged. "You look terrible."

"Thanks." Peyton sarcastically said.

"You want to talk about it?" Haley asked.

"God, no…I'm done with Lucas Scott." Peyton said wearily.

[Tree Hill gym]

"So that's it? You're done?" Nathan asked as the team trained.

Lucas looked away, frustration was evident.

"Luke, you've got to fix this." Nathan told him.

Lucas sighed. "Don't you think I know that? I don't know what to do anymore."

"I think you do. Just look in your heart and you'll see what you really want. Sure, things suck right now but keep trying. Fix it, Luke. They deserve it." Nathan said. "You deserve it, too." He added.

[Peyton's office]

Lucas walked toward Peyton's desk and upon hearing footsteps, Peyton looked up from the computer.

"What are you doing here, Luke?" she asked, clearly tired.

"I can't let us be like this." He said as he stopped in front of her.

Peyton sighed and then closed her laptop.

"You don't get a say in this, Luke." She told him.

"Peyton, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken it out on you." He said.

"No, don't be." she said as she stood up and went to stand in front of him. "At least now I know what you really feel instead of having to pretend that things are okay between us." She added.

"That's not---"

"Luke, I'm sure some part of you feels that way. The things you said aren't just made up because you were drunk." She fought the tears from falling.

"I don't hate you." He said.

"But you blame me for everything that's happened to you." She argued.

He couldn't respond so she continued.

"I came back hoping maybe you still want the same things I do. But after you proposed to Lindsey I backed off and tried to be a good friend to you instead. And now you're blaming me for something I didn't do. Lindsey broke up with you for something you did." Peyton told him.

Lucas looked at her with a pained expression.

_Flashback_

_[New York – Lindsey's apartment]_

_Lucas went inside the bedroom and saw Lindsey seated on the bed with the manuscript of "The Comet" in her hands._

"_Hey, I've been looking for you." He said as he sat beside her. "You've been pretty distant since we got here. What's on your mind?"_

_Lindsey looked down at the manuscript, trying not to cry._

"_Linds…what's wrong?" he began to worry._

"_I've been trying not to make a big deal out of it but when I re-read "The Comet" I just knew I couldn't ignore it anymore." She said._

"_What are you talking about?" he asked._

"_Peyton." She simply said._

_Lucas felt confused._

"_I saw the way you looked at her when she left at our engagement party. You still love her." Lindsey said._

"_What does she have to do with "The Comet"? He asked._

"_It's about her." She said._

"A part of me blames you." Lucas admitted.

Peyton's jaw dropped, shocked at his words. He met her gaze and continued to speak.

"It was hard losing you, Peyton. It was hard letting you go and it was hard seeing you again." He told her. "It still is." He added.

Still, Peyton couldn't find the strength to respond.

"But I found someone and she was going to marry me but she left me…" he paused. "Just because she thinks I still love you; that's why she left." He told her. "I'm sorry for being so hard on you, Peyton."

"Do you…?" she finally spoke.

"Do I what…?" he asked.

"Do you still love me?" she clarified.

He remained silent, not knowing how to respond.

She massaged her temple and let out a heavy breath.

"Just go." She whispered.

He stood still.

"Please, Luke." She pleaded softly,

He nodded. "I'll be seeing you." He said, turning to walk away.

He took a couple of steps before turning to look back.

"Peyton…?"

"_**I'm falling apart.**_

_**I'm barely breathing**_

_**With a broken heart that's still beating**_

_**I'm barely holding on to you."**_

_**

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**_

**As always…more drama coming up.=)**


	13. Keeper

**Okay so Lucas and Peyton are totally confusing right now. Let's see what happens in the next chapters to come.**

**This chapter will be the beginning of how everything will change between Lucas and Peyton, and with Julian and Peyton.**

"**Keeper" by Dashboard confessional**

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**

[Parking lot-Tric]

Lucas walked hurriedly toward his car, carrying a barely conscious Peyton in his arms. He put her on the passenger seat and quickly ran to the driver's seat.

He sped off, in total shock.

[Hospital]

Lucas, who was carrying Peyton, ran to the E.R. area, frantic.

"I need help!" he cried out.

Nurses and a Doctor quickly came up to him and took Peyton.

"What happened?" a nurse asked.

Lucas couldn't speak. He could only watch as Peyton was being checked out and his focus was only to her.

"Sir." Someone tried to get his attention.

[River court]

Julian and Brooke were smiling at each other.

"Thanks, Brooke." Julian said.

"No problem." She said as her phone rang.

She grabbed her phone and then answered it.

"Brooke." Lucas didn't wait for her to speak. "Peyton's in the hospital."

[Hospital - waiting area]

Brooke leaned on Julian as she tried to fight back the tears. Julian tried his best to keep Brooke calm while Lucas was staring down at the floor, deep in thought.

_[Peyton's office]_

"_Do you still love me?" Peyton asked._

_He remained silent, not knowing how to respond._

_She massaged her forehead and let out a heavy breath. "Just go." She whispered._

_He stood still._

"_Please, Luke." She pleaded._

_He nodded. "I'll be seeing you." He said, turning to walk away._

_He took a few steps before turning to look back._

"_Peyton…?"_

_He saw her holding on to her desk, slightly swaying. He walked back to her in time to catch her when she collapsed._

"_Peyton!" he panicked._

_She gripped her head, wincing in pain._

"_Luke…" she cried out weakly._

_He wasted no time and carried her to his car._

Nathan and Haley arrived and sat with them.

"Where's Peyton? What happened?" Haley asked.

Before anyone could respond, the Doctor approached them.

Brooke was the first to meet him.

"You're here for Peyton Sawyer?" he asked.

Brooke nodded.

"I'm Dr. Copeland." He introduced.

"Brooke Davis." She replied. "How is she?"

"She's stable. I take it that's she's been in a car accident just last night?" he asked her.

"Yes. She had a concussion." Brooke said.

**(Author's note: I haven't had the time to research on head injuries and all that stuff due to tons of home work so I just made up a condition that could most likely be possible haha. Sorry guys.)**

"Well, from what happened today it seems like she hit her head harder than we initially diagnosed. She's experiencing some severe head aches due to strain. Her head hasn't completely healed so she's easily susceptible to head aches." Dr. Copeland explained.

"So what does this mean?" Brooke asked.

"Well, we need to put her to sleep for a while. That way, she can heal faster without being stressed out." Dr. Copeland told her.

"But she'll be okay, right?" she asked.

"She will be. She just needs to rest. Don't worry, everything's okay." he assured her.

"Okay." Brooke nodded. "When do you need to do it?" she asked.

"I think the sooner, the better." He said.

"Can we see her?"

"No problem." He said.

[Hallway]

Brooke rushed toward Nathan and Lucas, who were facing each other, while Haley was close behind her.

"You couldn't help yourself, could you?" Brooke was pissed at Lucas.

Both Nathan and Lucas faced her, confused.

"What are you---"Lucas tried to ask.

"Isn't it enough that you broke my best friend's heart? You just had to hurt her physically too!" Brooke exclaimed.

"What?" Lucas couldn't believe what he was hearing from her.

"Peyton got into that car accident because of you! And now she's in the hospital again because you just had to stress her out. Are you trying to kill my best friend?" Brooke told him.

"Brooke." Haley, who stood beside her, tried to calm her down.

"Do you hate her that much for what happened to you two? She said 'someday' Lucas. And you walked out on her. So if any one should be _blamed _here it would be you." Brooke glared at him.

"I was trying to apologize." Lucas said.

"Look how well it turned out." Brooke said.

"I think this isn't the time for this." Haley told them.

Brooke glanced at Haley then back to Lucas.

"You know what I think? I think you should leave." She told Lucas.

"Brooke---"Haley tried to reason.

"I'm serious, Haley." Brooke told Haley then she turned to Lucas. "You're not going anywhere near Peyton anymore Lucas. I mean it. Stay away from her."

Lucas couldn't respond. Neither Nathan nor Haley could either.

"Now leave before I kick you out of here myself." Brooke said coldly.

Defeated, Lucas sighed and then turned to walk away.

Haley watched Lucas go as Brooke went the other way.

Nathan looked at Haley and she met his gaze. Both of them were in shock.

[Peyton's hospital room]

Julian was seated by Peyton's bedside. He smiled sadly at Peyton.

"I guess I won't be seeing you for a while." She said.

"It won't take long." Julian said.

"Lucas isn't coming, is he?" Peyton asked.

"I don't know." He quietly said.

Peyton sighed. "Is it wrong for me to want to see him after everything that has happened with us?"

"No." he said.

"He's Lucas Scott. He would've tried harder." Peyton said.

"I guess he's not the guy you thought he was---at least not anymore." Julian said.

Peyton looked away sadly.

"I'm here, Peyton." Julian said as he placed his hand on top of hers.

She looked back at him.

"And I promise I'll be here when you wake up. I'll be the first person you see when you open your eyes." He smiled.

"Promise…?" she asked.

"I promise." He said.

She nodded, believing him.

"You'll be okay. You just need some rest." He said.

"I guess I should've just listened to you and Brooke when you told me to stay home huh?" Peyton shrugged.

He chuckled.

"I know I've said this a thousand times already but thank you, Julian. I can't believe that after what happened to us, you're here." Peyton said.

"It's all because I love you, Peyton. And I'm not letting go this time---not without a fight. I'm going to make you see me." He said.

Peyton placed her hand on his cheek as she looked him in the eye.

"You don't need to make me see you, Julian." She told him.

[Lucas's house]

Lucas went inside his room and was surprised to find someone inside.

"Lindsey." He breathed out.

"I used the key." She said. "I just came by to get the rest of my stuff."

He stepped closer to her, pleading.

"Don't go." He said. "Can we talk?"

Lindsey looked at him, debating on whether or not she would stay.

She sighed. "Fine…I'm listening."

"_**Wish I could be somebody else**_

_**Wish I could see you in myself**_

_**Wish there was something inside me to keep you beside me**_

_**Say what you really feel**_

_**You know I need something that's real**_

_**I should have told you everything."**_

_**

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**_

**I want to apologize again for making up the condition Peyton was in and also the resolution to that. I already had the story drafted but I haven't had the time to look up head injuries. So anyway, this was a pretty long chapter and a lot has happened.**

**Lindsey's back. Peyton's put to sleep. What will happen and what will change?**

**Like I said on the intro of this chapter, this chapter will be the beginning of how things will change for the characters. (Mainly Peyton, Lucas and Julian. And Possibly Brooke.)**

**RR  
**


	14. how's it gonna be?

**Sorry it took me a while to update. I've been busy and I still am but I'm taking some time off now so I figured I would update.**

**So, here's a little recap:**

**Lucas and Peyton have been able to talk and Brooke is on Team Julian. Peyton ended back in the hospital while Lucas is ordered by Brooke to stay away from her best friend. And finally, Lindsey is back.**

**So, will Lucas fight for his right---and to whom? Will Julian be with Peyton?**

"**How's it gonna be?" by Third eye blind**

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**

[Tree Hill Gym]

"Alright...Hussle!" Lucas told the team.

"You think this will work out?" Nathan asked.

"It better work. We've been working on this and I counting on them." Lucas said.

"Lucas, are you really going to do what Brooke told you to do?" Nathan asked.

Lucas faced his brother and sighed.

"Brooke was right about everything. I'm doing what she said because I don't want to hurt Peyton any more than I already have." Lucas said.

"Do you really believe that? Or did you just stop fighting because Lindsey's back? Lucas, this isn't the kind of guy you are." Nathan told him.

"You told me to fix this. That's what I'm doing." Lucas said.

"Yeah but by staying away from Peyton…? You and I both know you haven't talked about things. By staying away, you're proving to her that you blame and hate her." Nathan said.

Lucas looked down, knowing his brother was right.

"You know what I don't understand?" a voice behind him spoke.

Both Nathan and Lucas turned to see Julian.

"Excuse me?" Lucas was baffled.

"Peyton still wants to see you after everything you did. You're practically the reason why she's in the hospital." Julian said.

Lucas couldn't respond. Nathan just remained quiet.

"We haven't been formally introduced. I'm Julian." Julian introduced.

"You're the guy Brooke was with at the hospital." Nathan pointed out.

Julian nodded.

"What do you want?" Lucas asked.

"I want to get this over with." Julian answered.

Lucas and Nathan looked at each other, both wondering what he meant.

[Hospital]

Julian walked toward the hallway toward Peyton's room as Brooke stepped out of the room.

"What is he doing here?" Brooke asked Julian, referring to the person behind him. It was Lucas.

"I brought him here." Julian simply said.

"Well, _I _clearly said that _he _can't see Peyton anymore." Brooke was pissed.

"Brooke." Julian said wearily.

"I don't care if he's the greatest Doctor in the world. Get him out of here." Brooke said, glaring at Lucas.

"It's not really your decision to make. If Peyton wants me to stay away then she should be the one to tell me that." Lucas finally spoke.

"Do you even remember why she's here in the first place? I'm telling you to stay away because you're only going to make her stay here longer." She told him.

"Please, Brooke. Just let her now." Julian begged; sadness evident from his eyes.

Brooke stared at him and understood.

"Okay, just this once." Brooke sighed. "She'll be put to sleep in a while so make your visit fast and _stress free_." Brooke emphasized.

"Thank you, Brooke." Lucas said sincerely.

"Don't think you're off the hook just because I let you see her. After this, you stay away." Brooke said coldly.

[Peyton's hospital room]

Peyton was staring out the window when she heard footsteps. She turned to see Lucas approaching.

"Hey, sorry it took me a while to come see you." Lucas said.

"It's okay." she said softly.

"Peyton…before anything else…I just want you to know that I really don't hate you. Even if I wanted to, I could never hate you." He said.

"We won't be seeing each other for a while, won't we?" she asked.

"I'll be around." He smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry, Lucas---for everything. And I hope you and Lindsey find your way back to each other. As long as you're happy, I'm happy." She told him.

"Peyton, don't be like that. I---"

"I'm sorry to interrupt but you have to treat Ms. Sawyer now." Dr. Copeland said as he went to stand beside Lucas.

"Okay." Lucas nodded.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Copeland asked her.

"It doesn't hurt as much as it did." She said.

"I guess I'll be going now." Lucas said as he turned to leave.

"I'll be seeing you." Peyton told him, causing him to glance at her.

"You, too." He smiled sadly then walked away.

[Waiting area]

Dr. Copeland approached Brooke and Julian as they stood to meet him.

"She's sleeping now." Dr. Copeland said.

"So, what happens now?" Brooke asked.

"Well, we wait for her to heal and we run some tests to make sure she's okay." Dr. Copeland told them.

"How long will she be on this?" Julian asked.

"That depends on the results. But I assure you, she'll be okay." Dr. Copeland said as he handed Brooke two folded papers.

"What's this?" Brooke asked as she took them.

"Peyton wanted you to have it." Dr. Copeland said.

Brooke looked down and saw her name on one paper and Julian's name on the other.

[Lucas's bed]

Lucas lay on his bed as he thought about what had happened with Lindsey.

_Lucas went inside his room and was surprised to find someone inside._

"_Lindsey." He breathed out._

"_I used the key." She said. "I just came by to get the rest of my stuff."_

_He stepped closer to her, pleading._

"_Don't go." He said. "Can we talk?"_

_Lindsey looked at him, debating on whether or not she would stay._

_She sighed. "Fine…I'm listening."_

_She sat down on his bed as he sat beside her._

"_I'm sorry." Lucas said. "I never took the time to tell you about my past with Peyton. I never explained it all to you."_

"_Everything is on your book, Lucas. I don't need you to explain." She said._

"_Lindsey, the comet was about love. The comet represents love. The comet doesn't represent any body. It's about loving and losing and finding love again. You have to believe that what I'm saying is true." He said._

"_You and Peyton loved each other so much that it scares me. And when I saw the way you looked at her the night of our engagement party, I---"_

"_I love you, Lindsey. You're the one I want to marry." Lucas interrupted._

"_I'm scared." She admitted quietly._

"_I'm not going to force you to trust me. But can we at least try again?"_

_Lindsey thought for a moment as he waited for her answer._

Lucas's phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

He answered it.

"Hey, Luke." Lindsey spoke.

Lucas closed his eyes and let out a breath. "Hey, Linds. I missed you."

[Hospital chapel]

Brooke was seated on the last pew and someone suddenly sat beside her.

"I don't really go to this place." Brooke admitted.

"She's going to be okay." Dr. Copeland said.

"What if something goes wrong?" Brooke asked.

"I won't let that happen." He assured her.

[Peyton's hospital room]

Julian was reading the paper Peyton wrote for him.

Tears fell from his eyes.

"_**How's it gonna be when there's no one there to talk to?**_

_**How's it gonna be when you don't know me anymore?**_

_**I wonder…is there anything I'm gonna miss?"**_

_**

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**_

**UP next: we get to know what Peyton wrote to Brooke and Julian. We also get to see how Julian and Brooke are dealing with their anxiousness.**


	15. heavily broken

**Here's the next chapter.**

"**Heavily Broken" by the veronicas**

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**

[Peyton's hospital room]

Julian was just watching Peyton's unmoving form.

_Julian went inside the room and stood by Peyton's bed side._

"_I thought you wouldn't come see me before they put me to sleep." She said softly._

"_I'm sorry. I just had to do something." Julian smiled sadly._

"_It's okay, you're here now." She said._

"_I know you'll be in this thing for a while but---"_

"_Hey, don't worry. And I'll miss you, too." She told him._

_He looked down, blushing._

"_You'll be here when I wake up right?" she asked._

_He looked up to meet her gaze._

"_I'm not going anywhere." He said. "I'll be the first person you see when you wake up."_

"_You promise?" she asked._

_He nodded. "I promise."_

Julian looked down at the letter Peyton wrote and unfolded it. He began to read.

(Peyton's voice over: Julian. I know you're the reason why Lucas came to see me. Thank you for doing that. It meant a lot to me. Do me a favor and take care of Brooke for me while I'm knocked out.)

[Hospital chapel]

Brooke and Dr. Copeland were seated at the last pew.

"Thank you for taking care of my best friend." Brooke told him.

"I'm just doing my job." He said.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked.

"I saw you come in and let's just say…I know what it feels like to not know if it'll be okay. You could use a little faith. So I'm giving you assurance." He said.

"Promises are hard to guarantee, Dr. Copeland---especially in a hospital." She told him.

"I wasn't promising you anything. I was assuring you that I'll do everything I can. Besides, from what I see, she's a strong person and she's got really great people around her." He said, smiling.

"Thank you." She smiled back.

"It's Ethan by the way…" he said as he stood up. "My name's Ethan."

Ethan then walked away, leaving Brooke by herself in the chapel. She smiled, knowing his name and then she looked down at her hand. She unfolded the letter she had been holding onto since it was given to her.

(Peyton's voice over: B. Davis. It'll be a while before I get to see the girl who's been there for me since we were kids. So while I'm knocked out. Try and take advantage of this opportunity to get to know Dr. Copeland.)

Tears began to fall from Brooke's eyes as she read on.

(Peyton's voice over: I know you, Brooke. I know that you'll worry too much. But don't worry, okay? Well…maybe just worry about me a little. Look out for Julian and make sure he knows this isn't his fault. And it's not your fault either, B. Davis.)

[Peyton's hospital room]

Julian was reading Peyton's letter.

(Peyton's voice over: You were right. I don't deserve the way Lucas has been treating me. Today, when we saw each other, I freed myself from him. Hopefully, that'll be for good. I know this has been really hard for you. But I'm thankful you pushed through every time. I'll miss that goofy grin of yours.)

_----Split screen---Brooke and Julian…_

(Peyton's voice over: I'll see you when I wake up, okay? Thank you for coming to Tree Hill and being here for me and I'll make it up to you. Everything will be okay. I promise.)

Julian looked up from the letter as his gaze went to Peyton.

Brooke folded the paper as she looked up at the cross.

[Lucas's room]

Lucas was staring at his manuscript of "The Comet"

"_I've been trying not to make a big deal out of it but when I re-read "The Comet" I just knew I couldn't ignore it anymore." She said._

"_What are you talking about?" he asked._

"_Peyton." She simply said._

_Lucas felt confused._

"_I saw the way you looked at her when she left at our engagement party. You still love her." Lindsey said._

"_What does she have to do with "The Comet"? He asked._

"_It's about her." She said._

He then thought back to what Haley told him before.

"_I know that you really want to be with Lindsey and marry her in a few weeks but I think you should think this through." She admitted._

"_Why?" he asked._

"_You kissed Peyton back." Haley stated,_

"_It didn't mean anything, Hales. It was a mistake. I love Lindsey. She's the one I want to be with." Lucas defended._

"_A kiss always means something, Lucas. You're not just kissing some girl. You kissed Peyton. You're still in love with her." Haley argued._

"_Haley---"Lucas tried to reason out._

"_Luke, it's not just that. I finished your second book. It's about Peyton." She said._

Shaking it off, he grabbed his phone and threw his manuscript on the bed.

He dialed a number and waited for the person to answer.

"Hello."

"Hey, Linds. I've thought about what you've said." Lucas told her.

"So…?" she asked.

"She's been a big part of my life." He said. "But that's in the past. What I want is the part where you are the one I'm with."

(Peyton's voice over: Love always, Peyton.)

"_**I'm heavily broken and I don't know what to do**_

_**Can't you see that I'm choking and I can't even move**_

_**When there's nothing left to say, what can you do?**_

_**I'm heavily broken."**_

_**

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**_

**Up next: Peyton's awake! Have things changed? And If so, will it be a good kind of change or will it be bad?**

**You'll see.**

**RR**


	16. collide

**Hey guys! Here's the next chapter. **

**How will things be when Peyton wakes up? Let's see…**

"**Collide" by Howie Day**

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[Peyton's hospital room]

Peyton slowly opened her eyes and familiarized herself to her surroundings. She looked to the side table and saw a bouquet of flowers. She reached out to grab it. She smiled, admiring the flowers.

"Like it…?"

She turned to see Julian approach with coffee in hand.

"They're beautiful." She complemented.

"Told you I'd be here when you wake up." he smiled as he sat down beside her.

"It feels like you never left." She said.

"Well, if you take a look at the table to your right, you'll see that I've been here everyday." he told her.

She looked at the console table to her right and saw many vases with flowers.

"Wow." She said.

He smiled. "Glad you like them."

"Thank you for this." She said as she looked back at him. "How've you been?"

"I'm doing better now that you're awake." He said, smiling.

She placed her hand on his cheek and he closed his eyes.

"I missed seeing you smile." She told him and then took her hand away.

He opened his eyes. "I missed seeing your eyes."

Peyton blushed and looked away. "So, how long was I knocked out?"

"Not long." he said. "The Doctor wanted to make sure you'd be healed completely. It was just two weeks, three days and eight hours." Julian said.

"But who's counting?" Brooke said as she entered the room. "It doesn't matter how long as long as you're okay."

"B. Davis." Peyton greeted as Brooke stood beside Julian.

"P. Sawyer." Brooke smiled.

"Okay, why don't I give you guys some time and I'll go to Dr. Copeland. I'll be back later." Julian said as he stood up.

"Yeah sure, I need to talk to P. Sawyer anyway." Brooke said.

Julian leaned in and kissed Peyton's temple then turned to leave.

"So, what did I miss?" Peyton asked as Julian walked away.

Brooke sat beside Peyton with her eyebrow raised.

"Hopefully, you missed your best friend." Brooke smirked.

Peyton chuckled. "Of course I missed you, Brooke."

"What about Julian?" Brooke teased.

Peyton smiled. "I missed him, too."

[Hospital hallway]

Julian dialed a familiar number and waited for his call to be answered.

"Hey, it's me." Julian said as soon as someone answered. "Peyton's awake."

_Julian was at Peyton's office, fixing her things. Haley went out of the studio and approached him._

"_You don't have to do this, you know?" Haley told him._

_Julian stopped fixing and then faced her._

"_I know. I'm just trying to keep my mind distracted." Julian said._

"_Is she okay? Did something happen?" Haley asked._

"_Oh yeah…she's okay…I'm just…" he sighed then sat down. "I'm worried something might go wrong and…I miss her."_

_Haley sat in front of him, sympathizing._

"_She'll be awake soon. She just needs rest, right? You know she's not going anywhere." Haley said._

_Julian nodded sadly._

"I just thought I'd let you know." Julian said.

"Can we stop by?" Haley asked.

"I don't know yet. I'll have to ask. I'll call you when I find out." Julian said.

"Okay. Thanks Julian." She said.

"No problem. Oh, and Haley…don't tell Lucas, okay?" Julian told her.

[Hospital room]

"He was a mess?" Peyton asked.

"He was. Sometimes, he went to your office to keep his mind off things. Haley's been really good to him." Brooke said.

"Haley? Wow, I really did miss a lot." Peyton realized.

"Oh you have no idea." Brooke told her.

[Tree hill gym]

Lucas's phone rang. He answered it.

"Hey, Linds." He greeted.

"Hey, Luke. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good. How about you? Are you coming home?" he asked.

"I'll be home. I'm actually about to board the plane now." She said.

"I can't wait to see you." He said.

"I can't wait to see you, too." She said. "Besides, we have a wedding to plan."

"_**I'm tangled up in you**_

_**Even the wrong words seem to rhyme**_

_**I finally find you and I collide"**_

_**

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**_

**Dun, dun. Dun! Things are about to get more interesting. I know, I know, a wedding?! Did ya think it won't happen? Well, there's a lot more that's about to happen. Come on, it's Tree Hill. It won't be Tree Hill without drama and all that.**

**Up next: Julian and Peyton interaction. And Peyton has to deal with Lucas again.**

**RR**


	17. give me heart

**So here's what happened so far…**

**Lucas and Lindsey are planning to get married. They've patched up their relationship.**

**Julian and Haley have become friends. And now that Peyton is awake, she has yet to deal with Julian and Lucas.**

"**Give me heart" by Susie Suh**

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**

[Hospital room]

Peyton was seated up while Julian was beside her. He was looking at her, smiling.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he shook his head, still smiling.

"Right…" Peyton chuckled, not believing him.

Julian looked down. "I just missed you."

Peyton took his hand. "I missed you, too."

He looked up and met her gaze. His expression was serious.

He took a breath. "Peyton…"

"What is it?" she asked.

"Is there any way that maybe…you could give me a chance again?"

"Julian…" she didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to put any pressure on you. Really, I'm sorry. I'm just---"

Peyton smiled. "Julian, relax."

He sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I don't want to ruin anything. But…I think you should know something."

"Okay." she said, listening intently.

"I'm not Lucas. And I'm never gonna want to be like him. I don't want to be the guy that hurts you. I'll be the guy who loves you unconditionally."

She felt him hold her hand tighter.

"Peyton, when you love someone, you give them your heart. And I know how hard it is for you to give yours. But the best thing about giving your heart to someone is the part where you hold onto that person and the belief that you'll be loved in return. Because despite the pain and heart ache that you feel, the out come is worth the risk." He told her.

Peyton smiled as tears threatened to fall.

"I know your heart is broken but I hope you'd take that risk of opening your heart. I want you to be happy, Peyton. I want the saddest girl in the world to be loved. So whoever it is you're holding on to, I hope you know I'm always here, loving you unconditionally. No questions asked." He said.

[After a while]

Lucas went in the room and approached her.

"Hey…" Peyton greeted.

"You wanted to see me?" he told her and stood by her side.

"Yeah I needed to talk to you." She said.

"Are you sure it's okay that I'm here?" he asked.

"Julian and Brooke are at work. You're safe." She chuckled. "They won't be back for a few hours."

Lucas nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She paused. "Luke, I need to know something and I need you to be honest with me, okay?"

"Okay." he agreed.

"When we kissed at Tric…did it mean something to you?" she asked.

Lucas looked down and sighed.

"Of course it did." He said as he looked up to meet her eyes. "A kiss always means something, right?"

Peyton nodded.

"But I love Lindsey, Peyton. I do. I can't say that kiss didn't mean anything but it doesn't change how I feel about Lindsey." He said.

Peyton remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"You meant the world to me, Peyton. You still mean something to me, only because I still love you and not because I'm still in love with you."

"It's always gonna be there, isn't it?" she told him.

He nodded in agreement. "Does this mean we can't try to be friends?"

Peyton shook her head sadly. "We've never been just friends, Luke. And even if we try to be friends again, we'll just keep on hurting each other."

He looked at Peyton, feeling hurt. "Someday then…?"

"Yeah." She said softly. "Someday…"

[hallway]

Julian was walking toward Peyton's room with flowers in hand, smiling. He was about to go inside the room when he saw Lucas. He backed away but peeked in.

[inside the room]

"I guess I'll be seeing you." Lucas said then leaned in to kiss her forehead.

He pulled away and smiled sadly.

[hallway]

Tears were threatening to fall from Julian's eyes as he backed away. He looked down as he walked away.

[outside the hospital]

Julian went out of the hospital and then threw the flowers in the trash. He walked away with his head down, fighting back tears.

"_**Give me heart**_

_**Give me something to hold on to."**_

_**

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**_

**There ya go. Hahaha Lucas and Peyton have talked. But after seeing what Julian has seen, how will things be? Is it really over between Leyton?**

**RR**


	18. stolen

**Hey guys! Things are about to get 'heated"**

"**Stolen" by Dashboard confessional**

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[Breyton's]

Brooke went inside the house to find Julian at the kitchen counter, drinking.

"Hey, I thought you were at the hospital." Brooke said as she placed her things on the table.

"I had some work to do." Julian said then he emptied the contents of his glass.

"Peyton's been wondering where you were for the past few days, Julian." She said. "What's going on?"

"Nothing." He said.

"What happened?" Brooke asked.

He sighed.

"I just don't understand how she could still love him." He said.

"You mean, like how you still love her?" she pointed out.

Julian looked at Brooke, not knowing what to say.

"You're gonna have to talk to her, you know? You do live in the same house and I don't want any drama in this house." Brooke told him.

"I already talked to her. But she chose Lucas." He said.

"So? I thought you came here to fight for her? Sitting here, drinking yourself to death and sulking isn't fighting for her." Brooke said.

Julian remained silent, thinking about what Brooke said.

"You took a chance on her and she loved you back. You did it once, you can do it again." Brooke said.

[outside the hospital]

Peyton and Julian made their way to the parking lot.

"God, it's good to be out of this place." Peyton said.

Julian chuckled.

"I'm glad you're here. I was beginning to think you went back to L.A." she said.

"I'm sorry. I had a lot of things to deal with." Julian said.

"It's okay. Where's Brooke?" she asked.

"She's at a meeting. We have the whole afternoon to ourselves." Julian smiled.

"Hmm…sounds interesting. Where are we going?" she asked.

"It's a surprise." He said.

[beach]

"Okay. We're in the isolated part of the beach. This doesn't look good. You must be planning to kill me." Peyton joked.

Julian chuckled. "Well, it depends. If you're nice, I might just consider keeping you around." He said, winking at her.

"Oh, okay." she chuckled.

They stopped at the spot where there was a blanket and a picnic basket set. There was also a cooler and some plates.

"Wow." She said, smiling.

"I'm sure you're hungry. Hospital food isn't healthy." Julian said.

[after a while]

Julian and Peyton were seated side by side, watching the waves touch the shore.

"I'm happy for you." He said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You two found your way back to each other. That's good." He explained.

"Me and Lucas?" she was confused. "We're not back together. We're not even friends anymore."

Julian looked at Peyton, surprised. "You're not?"

"Of course not…I let him go, remember?" she told him.

"But…I saw you two the other day. He kissed you." Julian said.

"That was a goodbye kiss." She clarified. "It's officially over."

Julian looked away. "Oh."

"I can't keep holding out for him anymore. Part of me will always love him, I can't deny that. But I think we just have to stop and move on."

"Well, I hope that's a good thing." Julian said as he placed a hand on top of hers.

Peyton rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"It will be. Thank you, Julian. It helps that you're here." She softly said.

"Anything for you, Peyton." He said then he gently rested his head on her head and also closed his eyes.

Both were unaware of the smile on each other's faces.

"_**Invitation only grant farewells**_

_**We all will sleep well**_

_**You are the best one of the best ones**_

_**We all look like we feel**_

_**You have stolen my heart."**_

_**

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**_

**No drama for this chapter. I'll let you guys rest from it for a while. The next chapter will be drama free too. There will be lot's of Julian and peyton interaction. I'm so excited for the next chapter. You'll see why….**

**RR**


	19. together

**Okay, as I said, this chapter will be drama free…maybe there'll be a little.**

**Since Julian found out that Peyton and Lucas are over, will he fight for her?**

"**Together" by Michelle Branch**

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**

[Clothes over bros]

Brooke and Peyton were seated on the couch.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Peyton asked.

"I'm sure. Besides, I wouldn't want to intrude your love fest with Julian." Brooke teased.

"Brooke." Peyton chuckled.

"What? You and Mr. Baker have been spending so much time together for the past few weeks. I'm surprised you're not back together yet." Brooke said.

"Come on, we've talked about this." Peyton said.

"I know. But P. Sawyer, that boy is so head over heels in love with you. And you, my skinny friend, fell in love with him not long ago." Brooke said.

Peyton just smiled, shaking her head.

"Luke's wedding is coming up and you need a date." Brooke pointed out.

"Brooke Davis, I am not using him to make Luke jealous. And I already told you that Luke and I are over." Peyton said.

"I didn't say anything about making him jealous." Brooke pretended to be innocent.

Peyton gave her a look.

"Okay, so maybe I was but for the most part, I really was hoping you and Julian would get back together. He's a great guy, Peyton." Brooke said.

"Yeah he is." Peyton smiled.

"So…do you still have feelings for him?" Brooke inquired.

"Well---"Peyton tried to say.

The door opened, interrupting their conversation. Brooke and Peyton turned to see Lucas approaching.

"Don't think this conversation is over." Brooke told Peyton then stood up to meet Lucas.

"So to what do I owe this visit?" Brooke asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you and Peyton would still come to the wedding." Lucas said.

"Well, I'm coming---even though I'm still a little pissed at you---but as for P. Sawyer…" Brooke turned to faced Peyton.

"Brooke's your friend and I'm not." Peyton said. "I don't really see the point in coming to my ex boy friend's wedding."

"Okay." Lucas nodded, a little disappointed.

[Docks]

"What's gotten into you?" Julian asked then he drank his coffee.

"What do you mean?" Peyton asked.

"You look a little…." He searched for the right word. "---Pissed."

Peyton hesitated for a moment and sighed.

"Lucas came by at Brooke's store. He was asking if we would still come to his wedding. Can you believe that? After everything we've talked about, he still thinks I'd be at his wedding."

"Maybe he was just trying to re-connect with you." Julian reasoned.

"Well, I already told him we were never friends." She said.

They stopped walking and they leaned on the railings. Both looked at the sea.

"I remember the first time I saw you." Julian said. "You were so beautiful."

"I was a mess." Peyton commented.

"Do you remember what I told you that day?" he asked.

"_You know..." he started. "The thing about a paper jam is that it causes you to open it up and see what the problem is."_

_He then walked away, leaving Peyton to ponder._

"You were a mess, Peyton. But I saw a beautiful heart underneath those sad eyes. I got to see that beautiful heart and I got to see that sad girl's smile. So, I'm going to find a way to put that smile back." He told her.

Peyton smiled sadly. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were some big shot, ego-centric, shallow minded guy trying to hit on me, thinking he had a chance to get me in bed."

"That's not completely a lie." Julian joked.

"I never thought that same guy would turn out to be the one to heal my heart. I'm glad I didn't turn you down when we met for the second time." Peyton told him.

"I just wanted to cheer you up." he said. "For the first and second time I saw you, you were in tears. So it made me wonder how someone could just let you be like that. I wanted to be the guy who'd make the saddest girl in the world smile." He told her.

"From that very moment, I knew I just had to get to know you. There was something about you that just made me want to be a part of your life." He continued.

Peyton then turned to face him and she found herself staring into his eyes.

He stepped closer to her, their faces inches apart.

"I'm crazy about you, Peyton Sawyer." He told her.

Their eyes were fixated on each other and they were slowly closing the gap between their lips.

The next thing they knew, their lips met.

"_**We belong together like the moon and stars in the midnight**_

_**We'll be strong forever cause we belong together."**_

_**

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**_

**The last part just sent me chills. Julian is such a good guy.**

**What do you think will happen? Will the outcome of their kiss be good? Or will it just tear them apart?**

**RR**


	20. better than love

**So far, Lucas and Lindsey are getting ready for their wedding while Julian and Peyton have kissed. What happens now? How will people react about this?**

"**Better than love" Griffin house**

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**

[Naley's house]

Julian knocked on the door and Haley answered.

"Hey, what are you doing here? Are you alright?" she asked.

"I just needed someone to talk to." Julian was nervous.

"Sure, come in." Haley told him and he went inside.

As he entered, Lucas appeared. Both Lucas and Julian stopped in their tracks.

"I didn't realize you have company. Maybe I should just---"Julian said.

"It's fine. Luke's just here to spend time with Jamie." Haley explained.

"It's no problem, man." Lucas said. "I'll just grab some food." Lucas said then walked away.

"So, what's going on?" Haley asked as she and Julian went toward the couch.

Julian looked at her. "It's Peyton."

[Breyton's]

Peyton went to the kitchen to find Brooke seated by the counter.

"It's a little late for work, isn't it?" Brooke told her.

"I'm the boss, remember? What about you? What are you still doing here?" Peyton asked as she took as beside Brooke.

"I'm still here because I've been wondering why you have been avoiding Julian for the past two days. He's been doing the same thing so I'm waiting for you to come out and explain to me what's going on with you two." Brooke said.

Peyton looked down, not responding.

"Peyton, what happened with you and Julian?" Brooke grew concerned.

Peyton met Brooke's gaze.

_Julian and Peyton slowly pulled away from their kiss. Both were surprised with what had just happened._

"_Peyton---"Julian tried to say something._

"_It's okay. I mean…it's not---no…I don't mean that it's not. It's just that---"_

"_I get it. Don't worry. I'm sorry. It's my fault." He said sadly as he stepped back._

"_No. It's not. We just…we got caught up in the moment. I guess." She tried to make sense out of what happened._

_Julian could only nod; obviously hurt._

_Noticing this, Peyton tried again. "Julian, I don't really know what that was. I can't give you a clear answer because I'm still a little messed up. I don't want to say anything without being sure. I don't want to hurt you. I don't want you to think I'm using you or anything." She explained._

"_Its okay, Peyton..." He forced a smile. "You don't need to explain."_

"Are you crazy? Of course you know what that means P. Sawyer!" Brooke exclaimed.

"Brooke---"

"Okay, so maybe you're still a little hung up on Lucas but I know you. You don't just kiss anyone because you're caught up in the moment. You're the most sincere person I know." Brooke justified.

Peyton remained silent, thinking about what Brooke said.

[Naley's house]

Lucas walked past where Haley and Julian were.

"We kissed." He heard Julian say.

This caused Lucas to stop and he hid himself, listening in; curiosity getting the better of him.

"And she's avoiding you?" Haley asked.

"We're both avoiding each other, actually. After seeing her reaction, I figured that maybe it was because of Lucas but then again she gave other reasons." Julian told Haley.

"Well, for the record, Peyton's not the type who kisses someone even though she doesn't have any feelings for that person. I'm sure she kissed you back because she has feelings for you, too. So maybe, she's been trying to figure things out before anything." Haley reasoned.

"I guess you're right." Julian said.

"Just give it time. She'll come around. You guys live in the same house. You're bound to talk to each other sometime." Haley said.

Suddenly, Julian's phone rang. He grabbed it and then looked at the ID.

"Or she'll come around sooner than we thought." He held up his phone. "It's Peyton."

Lucas looked away, trying to process what he had just heard. He then turned to walk away as he heard Haley speak,

"Go get your girl."

"_**You saved me from myself**_

_**Even if we change and fall out of…**_

_**You will always be my girl."**_

_**

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**_

**Oh boy, Lucas heard Julian and Haley's conversation. Will it change anything? What will Peyton say to Julian? Will they be okay?**

**Up next: Julian and Peyton talk. How will their conversation end?**

**RR**


	21. mmm

**Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been having some problems with my computer and I've been busy at school. Forgive me…**

**But the wait is worth it you guys! This chapter is going to be good ******** if you're not much of a fan of Julian and Peyton then you might not really enjoy this.**

"**MMM" by Laura Izibor**

[Cemetery]

Julian walked toward Peyton, who was seated in front of a gravestone.

"Okay, isolated area. This doesn't look good. You must be planning to kill me." Julian joked as he sat beside her. She chuckled.

"Well, it depends if you're nice, I might just consider keeping you around." She told him.

"So what are we doing here?" he asked.

"This is my mom." She gestured to the gravestone in front of them. "I wanted to introduce you to her." She continued. "Mom, this is Julian; the guy I've been talking about. He helped me heal."

"It's nice to finally meet you Mrs. Sawyer." He said as he looked at Anna Sawyer's grave.

"I also wanted to meet you here because I needed to talk to you." Peyton said.

Julian waited for her to continue.

"I'm sorry." She started. "I'm sorry because of the uncertainty of being able to give my heart to you. I'm just scared to go back there." she told him.

Julian looked down sadly. "I get it. I understand."

Suddenly, the rain started to pour. Looking up, Julian stood up and so did she.

"Come on, we should go." He said as the rain poured harder.

"Wait." Peyton said, not caring if the rain soaked them.

"It's okay Peyton." He said. "I'm alright." He tried to say it casually.

He began to turn away when she spoke, "You were right."

He turned back to look at her, waiting for her to continue.

"You're not Lucas." She said.

Julian looked away, trying to stop the tears from falling. By this time, they were completely soaked by the rain.

"But this boy once told me that the best thing about giving your heart to someone is holding onto them and the belief that you'll be loved in return. Because despite all the pain and heartache that happens, the outcome is worth the risk." She said.

He looked at her, feeling confused and searching for an answer.

She took his hands and held them tight.

"I'm hoping that what that boy told me was true; that the outcome will be worth risking my heart for. Because right now, I'm holding on to that person." She said, smiling slightly as tears threatened to fall.

Confused, he asked her, "What?"

"I'm holding on to you." She simply said as she gestured toward her hands, which were still holding his hands.

He looked down at their hands and then he looked back up to meet her gaze with a smile on his face.

"Don't let go, okay?" she asked him.

"No way." he shook his head, as he grinned.

He stepped closer to her and so did she.

"God, I'm crazy about you, Peyton Sawyer." He whispered, as he stared at her eyes.

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

They let go of each other's hands as Julian wrapped his arms around her waist and Peyton placed her arms on his shoulders to hold the back of his head with her hands.

Both were engaged in a passionate kiss.

They pulled away slowly and Peyton leaned on his shoulder as he held her tighter but gently. She wrapped her arms on his waist tightly, too.

She closed her eyes, smiling.

He gently leaned on her head and kissed it. "I love you, Peyton. I'm not going anywhere." He whispered.

They stood there, under the rain, both content on having each other in their arms.

"_**Make everything so simple in this crazy world**_

_**And I'm trying to find the words to say**_

_**You make everything alright just by being around**_

_**You make me wanna sing**_

_**You're my light in the dark**_

_**Guiding me home**_

_**Your faith in me is all I need**_

_**Your love, it sets me free."**_

**There ya go! Hope I didn't disappoint ******** how will things be now that Julian and Peyton are together?**

**Reviews are love**


	22. the scientist

**Okay. Julian and Peyton are now together and Lucas is going to marry Lindsey. Will things stay the way they are? Or will something get in the way of their happy relationships?**

"**The Scientist" by Coldplay**

[Breyton's house – Peyton's room]

Julian and Peyton lay on the bed. His arms were around her.

"You know, if you get sick for staying so long under the rain like that, Brooke should know that it was your fault." Julian teased.

"You're so scared of Brooke, Mr. Baker. Why is that?" Peyton asked.

"Well, it's because Brooke Davis is the Best friend of the girl I love. And the last thing I want is for Brooke to have a reason not to like me." Julian said.

"Thank you." Peyton said.

"For staying under the rain with you so we can get sick…? I'm not really a fan of the rain. But yeah, you're welcome." Julian joked.

Peyton smacked Julian on the chest as she chuckled. "I was thanking you for being so patient with me. Why don't you like the rain?"

"Long story." He said.

Peyton raised an eyebrow, "Well, well…seems like I'm not the only one with a dark secret."

"I just don't like to dig up old memories. Especially when it has something to do with who I used to be." Julian said.

"Well, trust me. If anyone understands past issues, that'd be me." Peyton said.

He smiled. "This feels like a dream. Are you really with me?"

Peyton kissed Julian and smiled. "This is real. I'm with you."

Julian smiled as he caressed her cheek.

[Breyton's Kitchen]

Brooke was drinking coffee when Peyton went out of her room with Julian close behind. She looked up at the couple and smiled widely. Peyton and Julian joined Brooke with smiles on their faces.

"Looks like some people had a great night." Brooke smirked.

"Brooke, nothing happened." Peyton clarified. "Wipe that dirty look off your face."

"Right…you two just literally slept together." Brooke said sarcastically.

"We talked the whole night and eventually fell asleep." Julian said.

Brooke groaned. "Could you at least tell me that you two are back together?"

Peyton and Julian looked at each other, chuckling. And before any of them could respond, Brooke squealed.

"Oh my god, you two are so together!" Brooke was thrilled.

"Brooke." Peyton couldn't help but laugh at her best friend's reaction.

Suddenly, Julian's phone rang. He stood up as he grabbed it from his pocket.

"I have to take this." He said then kissed Peyton's temple and then walked to the front door.

"I'm so happy for you, P. Sawyer." Brooke told Peyton. "I'm glad that you two worked out your issues. I can't stand another day with you two avoiding each other like a plague."

"Well, I'm still a little unsure about this." Peyton confessed.

"You two will be okay. One thing's for sure, Peyton; he's not Lucas. He won't hurt you like Luke did."

[Outside]

Lucas made his way toward Brooke and Peyton's front door. He saw Julian talking on the phone with his back facing him.

"I'll get you the money, okay? I just have a few things to take care of. But I promise I'll give it to you. After that, we're done. You disappear and never bother me, okay?" Julian said then turned in time to be face to face with Lucas.

Lucas awkwardly stepped closer to the front door as Julian continued to speak.

"Yeah, is that a deal?" Julian cautiously said.

Lucas knocked on the door and then let himself in.

Brooke looked up from her sketches, surprised to see him. "Lucas."

"Hey. I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if you could do me a favor." He said as he approached her.

"Okay, sure." She said.

"I know you're probably still a little pissed at me but—"he said.

"What it is?" Brooke interrupted.

"I was hoping maybe you could make my tux and Lindsey's dress---if you're not too busy." Lucas said.

"No, it's fine." Brooke said.

"You're not pissed at me anymore?" Lucas questioned.

"Look, I'm sorry I was a bitch to you. I was just worried about Peyton. But she's okay now so I don't see the point in being mad at you." Brooke said.

"I'm sorry, too, Brooke. And I really appreciate this." He said.

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me, Luke." Brooke pointed out.

"I know." He quietly said.

Lucas went out as he closed the door. He saw Julian massaging his head.

"You okay, man?" Lucas asked.

Julian looked up as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah…Just work."

Before Lucas could speak, the front door opened and Peyton went out with a smile on her face.

"Hey baby boy, what's---"she stopped when she noticed Lucas.

"Luke." She said quietly.

"Hey, Peyton." Lucas said.

Julian looked to Peyton then to Lucas.

Peyton looked to Julian then to Lucas.

Lucas only focused on Peyton.

Lucas and Peyton looked at each other with mixed emotions.

The three of them stood there in awkward silence.

"_**Tell me your secrets**_

_**And ask me your questions**_

_**Let's go back to the start**_

_**Nobody said it was easy**_

_**It's such a shame for us to part**_

_**No one ever said it would be this hard**_

_**I'm going back to the start."**_

**Not much going on in this chapter. But I never said there won't be drama soon.**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


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